The social presence and user behaviors in social network site (SNS)

Abstract

With the increase in usage via mobile appliance, social network sites (SNS) has become a channel for everyday communication. Users connected through SNS can communicate with other users and get information from the company in real time. Under the daily and close communication environment, a feeling of intimacy or warmth from the other user or company plays a significant role in enhancing sense of connectedness to the other user and continuance relationship with company. Therefore, a clear understanding on social presence is important for the continuance usage of social network sites (SNS) and continuance relationship with company in social network sites (SNS). To understand the role of social presence in social network sites (SNS), the dissertation focuses on two objectives; (i) (in corporate context) to explore the antecedent inducing social presence and to compare the effect of social presence on user behavior toward corporate SNS by product type and (ii) (in individual context) to investigate the effect of social presence and active artifact use on gratification of connection with other users and continuance user behavior toward SNS. In corporate context, the first study suggested the form-based and content-based antecedent of social presence in corporate SNS and investigates significant difference in the effects of social presence on user behavior intention toward corporate SNS depending on the product type. Social presence theory is adapted from the media literature to arrive at a theoretical research model of user behavior intention toward corporate SNS. To capture the moderating effect of product type, the proposed model is empirically tested by using survey data collected from 385 users for hedonic product and 417 users for utilitarian product. The findings from structural equation analysis reveal that the suggested antecedents, self-disclosure of SNS administrator, person interactivity and machine interactivity provide a significant explanation of the...